The Brief Bedford Reader 15th Edition Novels & Stories

🥀🖤🥀 ‎"You're mine, Judy. No one else gets to touch you like this. I will ruin you for anyone else."‎ This is wrong, so wrong. He is married to Eliza, my sister, but the taboo only fuels the fire, the guilt twisting into a dark thrill that coils tighter in my core. ~ "Tell me, Judy," he demands, his grip on my wrists tightening just enough to send a delicious jolt of pain through my arms. "Tell me what you meant back there in the conference room. What bond were you talking about?" The absolute desperation in his eyes shatters my defenses. For two fucking years, I have suffered the agonizing loneliness of writhing in pain on my bed and hiding my true nature. Tears prick the corners of my eyes, the truth clawing its way up to my throat. I can't hold it back anymore. “The bond… I…” “Say it.” He pushes. “You stupid, blind Alpha," I sob, my next words ripping out of me. "The bond is my mate bond with you, Kieran. I am your fated mate." ~ 🖤🥀🖤‎ Warning: 🔞 Reader's discretion is advised. This story is a DARK ROMANCE dripping with the forbidden 🥀🖤🥀, so tread carefully. If you love a weak to strong sassy FMC who finally grabs her power back and an equally possessive filthy talker ML who will burn the world to keep her, then you are in the right place. This is not just a story, this is a dedication to every 'JUDY' out there who has been casted aside for being 'UNWORTHY'. Grab your power back. Also, don't forget to grab your seatbelts too because this ride is not for the strapless. See you on the darker side 🔞🥀🖤🥀

Elena believed that her life was simple. She had a career she loved. A boyfriend she could trust and a future that felt safe. Not until she met Valeria Moretti. Cold, powerful and dangerous. A billionaire queen who ruled from the shadows, where money bought loyalty and betrayal was paid in blood. When her boyfriend, Marcus made a deal he couldn’t afford to keep. Elena became the collateral he never expected to lose. Taken into Valeria’s world of steel dominance and threats, Elena found herself trapped in a cage where luxury had teeth. Valeria claimed she wanted only what she was owed, but that was far from the truth. Her gaze lingered, her words cut too precisely and the line between punishment and desire began to blur. Elena had never questioned her heart. She never questioned her sexuality. Until Valeria began to dismantle her certainty, slowly and deliberately, without laying a hand on her skin. Because to Valeria, she didn’t need to conquer with force. She conquered with presence. As danger and intimacy coil together, Elena must face the truth she had never truly allowed herself to see: some forms of captivity felt like freedom, and some queens didn’t ask for loyalty; they claimed it. In a world of ruled silk temptation, steel authority and sinfully forbidden desire, love may be the most dangerous debt of all. This story contains themes, including power imbalance, captivity, psychological manipulation, emotional intensity and morally grey characters. Reader's discretion is advised. When power demands surrender, and desire refuses to be denied, how far would you fall before you stop fighting it?

WARNING!!! FOR MATURE READERS ONLY The stories in this collection have zero filters, explicit content. Every story begins with a look. A touch. A dare. But what happens when desire refuses to be tamed? Inside these pages live more than thirty tales that strips desire down to its rawest, most honest form… the slow burn that makes you ache, the tension that makes you beg, and the release that leaves you breathless and wanting more. There is the stranger across the bar whose eyes say everything his mouth hasn't yet. The boss who breaks every professional rule because some hunger cannot be contained by a title or a corner office. The lover who knows exactly which buttons to push and pushes every single one. The forbidden touch that was never supposed to happen and now cannot be stopped. Dominant men who take exactly what they want. Bold fearless women who give as good as they get. Detective who gets blinded by desire. Hot chef who isn't just good in the kitchen, he's a beast in bed. Different couples. Different sins. One devastating collection: Tender and rough. Sweet and savage. Slow burning and wildly urgent. Because real passion does not fit into one box and neither does this collection. This is erotica for the reader who is done settling for stories that fade to black right when things get interesting STRIPTEASE does not fade to black. STRIPTEASE turns the lights all the way up. Read it alone in bed. Read it with someone who makes your pulse race. Just do not start it if you have somewhere important to be… because you will not be able to stop. Some books entertain you. STRIPTEASE will consume you. Tease. Tempt. Surrender. You were warned.

Laura Sterling once ruled a corporate empire. Now she’s a broken shadow of herself... paralyzed, betrayed, and fresh out of a five-year prison sentence orchestrated by the man she loved. Derick Cole didn’t just destroy her life. He drugged her, framed her, and left her for dead. When she’s finally released, Derick’s ruthless older brother makes her an offer she can’t refuse: One year she's now with Aaron Cole under a marriage contract. She has to Sleep under his roof and has to fall in love with him. If she succeeds, he’ll destroy Derick and set her free forever. If she fails… he’ll hand her back to the monster who nearly killed her. Aaron is cold, ruthless and dangerously obsessed. He doesn’t just want her heart ... he wants her complete surrender. But as Laura fights to reclaim her strength and uncovers the dark secrets behind the Cole brothers’ twisted rivalry, she realizes something far more terrifying: She’s starting to crave the man she swore to hate. With a jealous ex-lover circling, a dangerous new threat in the shadows, and her own treacherous body betraying her every time Aaron touches her… how long can Laura resist before she loses herself completely? One year. One contract. One deadly choice. Will she steal his heart… or let him steal what’s left of hers? **Trigger warning**This story contains explicit sexual content, mature themes, and scenes that may be triggering to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.

On her third wedding anniversary, Emilia believes she is about to give her husband, Jason, the greatest gift of all. The company her late parents left. She thinks love and trust will keep them together forever. But in one cruel moment, Emilia learns the truth: Jason never truly loved her. He betrays her, takes everything she owns, and leaves her with nothing but heartbreak. Lost, hurt, and with nowhere to turn, Emilia’s world falls apart. One night, she meets a quiet stranger who helps her when she needs it most. Their meeting is brief, and meant to be forgotten, or so Emilia thinks. Trying to rebuild her life from scratch, Emilia finds a new job and hopes for a fresh start. But fate has other plans. Her new boss turns out to be Sebastian, the man she never expected to see again. Old misunderstandings, wounded pride, and hidden feelings turn their working days into a battle of sharp words and silent glances. When Sebastian's family pressures him to get married, he makes a risky decision: a pretend marriage. To Emilia, it sounds like a chance to stand tall again and reclaim what was stolen from her. What begins as a deal slowly turns into something much deeper. But the past refuses to stay buried. Jealous enemies spread lies, old wounds reopen, and Emilia must decide if she is strong enough to believe in love again. As danger closes in and secrets are revealed, Emilia learns that true love is not about gifts or promises; it is about courage, and choosing to stand up for yourself. Will Emilia finally get the happy ending she deserves, or will the shadows of betrayal steal her future once more? A powerful story of loss, strength, and finding love when you least expect it.

Daisy Thompson works at Sneakz Burger Emporium under the protection of Uncle Mateo, living within a werewolf territory while hiding her true identity. When suspicious customers arrive asking about the restaurant's dangerous "Volcanic Sauce," Daisy's instincts are triggered. A male voice at the drive-through raises alarm bells, causing Daisy to retreat to a hidden safe room with a guard named Thomas. As Alpha Maison, son of Alpha Logan and heir to the local werewolf pack, enters the restaurant, tension mounts. Though Maison has always shown hostility toward Daisy, his wolf senses she's in danger. Meanwhile, in the safe room, Daisy realizes Thomas is not one of Uncle Mateo's loyal guards but an infiltrator sent to capture her. Thomas reveals a shocking truth: Daisy's wolf pendant marks her as "royal blood" and "the last surviving heir of the Northern Territories"—information completely unknown to her. When Thomas attacks, Daisy defends herself with hidden silver blades until Maison bursts in. After a brief confrontation, Maison kills Thomas, and Daisy leads them through a secret tunnel back to pack territory. As they emerge near Alpha Logan's pack house, questions loom large. Daisy must confront the possibility that everything she knew about her identity was a lie, while Maison must decide how much to tell his father about this mysterious young woman who has been living at the edge of their territory. Just as they begin to discuss their next steps, Luna Mara appears, expressing relief at finding Daisy safe. The story sets up a larger mystery about Daisy's true heritage and royal lineage and why she's been hidden within a witness protection program all these years.

⚠️ Mature Content Warning: This novel contains adult themes, explicit romance, violence, and emotionally intense situations. Reader discretion is advised. ————————————————————— “I expect loyalty, Margot. We marry in four days and you’re getting calls like that? What the fuck have you been doing?” My voice isn’t calmed down enough but I restrain myself from punching a wall. I wasn’t young and stupid but these rash reactions were making it seem as though I was. Tears welled in her eyes and I silently cursed myself. My bride. Just days before our wedding, I am screaming at her. Is this a product of the Binding? Making me a control freak? I came to her room for alone time with her, not to fight with her. I think she is going to give a meek answer to my question but instead she wipes her tears with the back of her hand and glares at me. “So you can fuck and feed from a Registry whore an hour before we go to the Binding ceremony, but I am expected to be loyal to you? You saw me watch that night. Did I yell at you?” —————————————————————— Every 25 years, a human from one of the five elite dynasties must marry into one of the five vampire houses to keep the peace of the Accord, a treaty between the ten families. Now it’s Margot’s turn to marry except she’s taking her dead sister’s place to marry the King of all vampires. Preserving the peace and producing a Crimsonborn is her duty, but she was groomed for society, not submission. Her immortal husband to be is not only the vampire king, Nathaniel Blackwell, but a calculating man who doesn’t want or need a wife. Or so he claims.

Phera Evans thought she'd left her family and pack behind after being devastated by the only three people she ever loved: Axel, Damon, and Zane White, the future alphas of the Red Moon Pack and her older brother and sister's best friends. Determined to forge her own path, Phera leaves the wolf multiverse and becomes a skilled charted accountant and elite warrior at the prestigious Wolf Academy of the Elite in California.But fate has other plans for Phera. Forced to return to the Red Moon Pack, she discovers that the once arrogant playboys she once craved are now ruthless and vicious alphas of the most powerful pack in the multiverse. And they're determined to make her theirs, no matter what. After all, Phera was always meant to be theirs from the beginning, and they'll stop at nothing to claim their princess.As Phera's heart battles with conflicting emotions, she must decide whether to open herself up to love again. When an eternal bond ties her to Axel, Damon, and Zane, will she resist their advances or give in to the passion and desire that still burns between them? Don't miss out on this captivating tale of love, loyalty, and second chances.‘Alpha Triplets Claim’ storyline is based on the very first novel I read by a talented author know as Eva Zahan and the storyline is from her book ‘Ace’s Trap’. Despite having the same sequence in the beginning the book has a different storyline and I wanted to bring it to the reader’s attention. I also want to let everyone know I’ve asked the author before hand if I can use her idea and she has agreed. I have the conversation with the author on my page H.A Shah.

TRIGGER WARNING : THIS BOOK EXPLORES HEAVY THEMES SUCH AS EMOTIONAL ABUSE, MANIPULATION, BDSM AND TORTURE, SEXUAL ABUSE, AND TRAUMA – AS WELL AS STRENGTH, RESILIENCE, AND THE WILL TO RECLAiM ONE’S POWER. IF YOU'RE SENSITIVE TO ANY OF THE THEMES MENTIONED, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ WITH CARE, TAKE BREAKS WHEN NEEDED, OR SKIP IF THIS BOOK IS NOT RIGHT FOR YOU AT THIS TIME. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES (18+) ONLY. Blurb She was the price her father paid. He was the monster no one dared defy. Their marriage was never meant to feel like love – only like survival. Seraphina Houston, the strong-willed daughter of an Alpha Houston; a failing werewolf pack, never imagined her fate would be sealed by a contract… or by the cold hands of a Lycan king. When she’s forced to marry the powerful and ruthless billionaire, Leone Night, to clear her father’s debt, she becomes little more than a pawn in a brutal political game. From the moment she enters the Blackthorn Pack’s palace, Seraphina is silenced, ignored, and betrayed, used as nothing more than a vessel to fulfill a cursed bloodline. Her husband shows her no kindness, his twin brother taunts her with a past she barely escaped, and her only comfort lies in the arms of a gentle palace doctor who offers her something the others never could: a choice. But the deeper she sinks into the lycan world, the more secrets unravel. A mistress with a familiar face. A child with forbidden power. And a prophecy that ties her fate to both Lycan brothers… with deadly consequences. When the time comes to choose between survival, love, and freedom…will Seraphina continue to suffer in silence, or become the rebellion the monsters never saw coming?

“You're going to beg for mercy but what I’ll give you is pleasure, the kind that makes you forget you’re the one being destroyed” ————— Brutalized by cruel words and relentless ridicule, she was once the outcast — humiliated, broken, and branded unworthy especially by the golden boy everyone admired. He was adored. She was discarded. His actions left wounds that never healed, branding her as unlovable. But fate had a cruel sense of irony , he became the man she was forced to get engaged to. Refusing to be trapped in a life with her tormentor, she rejected the proposal. But when tragedy struck, her world shattered. With no other choice, she accepted the engagement… and then disappeared. Years later, she re-emerged, transformed and reborn with a new identity. Her beauty now a weapon. Her confidence, dangerously seductive. Her soul burned with one purpose: revenge. No longer the weak girl everyone once tore apart, she sets out to make everyone who broke her pay, especially him. The golden boy, her original sin. She’ll lure him in, make him fall for her, and break him with his own sinful obsession all in the name of revenge. But as his desire twists into possession, and his obsession turns deadly, their game spins out of control. Will she be the one to finally break him, or will his darkness consume them both, trapping them forever in forbidden desires? This story is a dark, slow-burn forbidden romance of twisted love, obsession, and revenge. It’s a tale of intense desires, passionate encounters, and the destructive power of unchecked emotions. Reader discretion is advised due to mature themes, explicit content, and emotionally intense scenes.